home

M

ore than 200 people voted with their spoons Saturday, during the Old Theater’s Third Annual Chili Cook-Off. A dozen chili cooks and teams competed in the event, which raised funds for the Old Theater.

Garnering the most votes was the team that played on a dog theme — promising “The Best Doggone Chili in Town” — four humans and a dog named Barquely, owned by Libby Ferdinandsen.

The winning crew of Team Barquely. Sandy Braun with the Old Theater stands amid Libby Ferdinandsen, a momentarily-camera-shy Barquely, and Dan and Lynn O’Neill. As the photo was being taken and another chili cook gently heckled from the audience, Dan O’Neill summed things up with an Oriental logic. “You bring a dog and you win!”

Finishing second in the vote count was Michael Gibson, and third was Dave Sergeant of M&M’s Restaurant.

Michael GIbson, the Second Place finisher.

Dave Sergeant of M&M’s won Third Place for a chicken salsa verde chili.

Competing cooks served up more than chili to woo the voters. A few gave away chocolates to “cleanse the palate” — truffles at one table, M&M’s at another. The winning team played on its dog theme and offered Milk Bones for dogs and bone shaped sugar cookies for humans.

Treats for dogs and bi-peds. Did that sway the voters?

Chili Dog. Barquely eyes a partially eaten bone cookie.

Attendance at the event, which took place at the Oriental Marina, was up from last year. 203 tickets were sold — 30 more than a year ago. Several of the chili chefs ran out before the event did.

There wasn’t a category for Smallest Pot and Scoop, but if there had been….

In addition to the top three vote getters, the organizers also handed out special awards to the other competitors.

You can see some of those, and other photos just ahead:

More photos, next page.

[page]

Jack and Carol Herman earned “Best Tex-Mex” honors. Two years ago, they’d come in third, last year second and were aiming for the blue this year.

Bill and Debbie Deaton represented Dawsons’ Creek — and the People Of The Corn — and came away with the “Best Corn” title.

Marlene Miller, Pat Bullis and Julie Gaines, of “Hot Chicks Chili” took the “Martha Stewart” award. No glue guns were involved, byt discerning palates could detect cumin and eggplant along with the usual chili ingredients.

Ed Braun was deemed to have the “Hottest Chili”.

“Best New Recipe” honors went to Lori Wagoner, whose sign noted last place finishes in previous years. She pegged that to using a strictly vegetarian recipe. This year, she put some meat in to her entry.

There’s the price of gas, and the price of avoiding it.

Overheard: a proposed swap — a vote for a particular chili for a vote for a presidential candidate.

Serving up. More photos follow…

[page]

The Glitzie Chicks, with Dave Collins sitting in.

Janice Rott, flautist with the Glitztie Chicks.

Ernest Dunn on fiddle and one of the Glitzie Chicks’ vocalists, Myra Blue.

One of a number of contestants who ran out of chili, thanks to a crowd of more than 200.

Posted Monday September 22, 2008 by Melinda Penkava